The Right Thing
by onceuponatimelady
Summary: Swanfire AU. August told Neal that leaving Emma was the right thing. But what if he was wrong? Neal makes a different decision and stays with Emma.


There's a curse... and it needs to be broken. Emma, is the key. I was tasked with keeping her on track and you, my friend, just got caught in the crossfire. Now, I'm going to tell you a story. And, at the end of it, you're going to have to make a decision. Will you do the right thing... or not? So... are you ready?

The words repeated in his head constantly. Ever since that moment, that split second at the end of August's story when he'd had to make a decision. How could he be sure that what August wanted of him was "the right thing"? All he had known was that leaving Emma felt like the wrong thing. How could he live with himself if he'd set her up? August was angry. He'd used so many arguments against what Neal had decided. But there was one argument he just couldn't make.

Where in the curse did it say that the Savior couldn't have a friend guiding her?

After all, August intended to be that person, didn't he? He had promised repeatedly to watch over her, to help her get to where she needed to go. But he couldn't convince Neal that the role couldn't be fulfilled by him, the son of the Dark One. The fact that Emma was born in the Enchanted Forest was terrifying. He had wanted nothing to do with that world once he'd been sucked away from it through that portal. The fact that she was the one destined to break his father's curse was also terrifying. Would it put him in the same town as his father? Would helping Emma force him to confront the man who had abandoned him for magic? It was the worst possible scenario. But he couldn't let Emma spend the next eleven years alone. He couldn't abandon her. Because that would make him no better than his father. The Dark One walked away from him for magic. How could he walk away from her to avoid magic? Magic separated him from his father. He wasn't going to let it separate him from the woman he loved.

But every day they were on the run was another day he had to convince himself all over again. There were moments that the thought of having to face his father made his throat close and panic settle into his chest. But then one look into those blue eyes and he knew he had made the right choice.

They made their way to Canada. Replacing the VIN on the bug, fencing the watches, everything went smoothly. August continuously kept tabs on them, calling and trying over and over again to get Neal to take off. There were days he nearly did. If August was so sure that Emma needed to be alone … maybe he was right. After all, August was the one tasked with watching over her. He was the one who knew the details of this curse. Was there something he had kept to himself?

The constant worry kept him up nights. How could he know he had done the right thing? But then came the day that he knew. The day that changed everything.

He'd gone out to get them breakfast, her favorite coffee and one of Canada's best maple frosted donuts. When he arrived back at their apartment, he found Emma sitting on their bed, eyes staring into the distance in a state of shock.

"Emma? … Are you ok?" Neal hurriedly placed the items on the table and rushed to her, dropping to his knees before her, "Emma ..."

Finally her eyes fixed on his and a smile slowly broke out on her features. Without a word, she lifted the small white rectangle, a tiny blue plus sign almost glowing out of the circular window. He stared, masculine brain scrambling to make sense of what he was seeing. That couldn't be what he thought it was … could it?

And then her musical voice, a whisper that confirmed it, "I'm pregnant."

"You're pregnant …. you're pregnant?" the pause was heavy. He could see the falter of uncertainty that passed over her face before he leaped to his feet and knocked her backwards onto the bed, covering every inch of her face with kisses, "You're pregnant," he murmured, "You're pregnant. You're pregnant. You're pregnant …. You're going to have my baby."

Her laughter filled the room as his lips brushed over her features repeatedly. It was that moment that Neal knew he had made the right decision. No matter what August said. This was where he was meant to be.

The months that passed were joyful. Every inch that Emma's stomach grew was another confirmation. In his hundreds of years of life, Neal couldn't remember a time he had ever been so happy. And seeing the glow that emanated from her was something he couldn't believe he could have missed. When the day finally came for them to welcome their child into the world, Neal was a wreck.

He nearly forgot the hospital bag, sped the whole way to the hospital, and carried Emma inside because he fretted that walking would be too painful. She held his hand the whole time and he bathed her forehead with cool cloths. At last, the tiny wails filled the room and the doctor announced, "It's a boy."

"A boy," Neal breathed out the words before pressing a kiss to Emma's forehead, "Emma, we have a son."

The nurse looked up with a smile and picked up a clipboard, "What's his name?"

Emma turned to Neal. He thought back to all the people he had known throughout his life. His father, all the boys of Neverland, his friends in London. He thought of his family. His families, for he'd had more than one. He remembered Michael and John, Mr. Darling … Mr. Henry Darling.

"Henry." He said.

Emma smiled, "Henry. … I like that name. … Henry Cassidy. It's perfect."

Another nurse passed the little bundle over to him and Neal saw his son for the first time, "I promise," he whispered as tears filled his eyes, "I promise that I will be the Papa you deserve. I love you, Henry."

And to think … August had wanted for him to miss all of this.


End file.
